FAA Shakeup DOT Building
Facing "growing skepticism" among the aviation community about the FAA's ability to successfully modernize the nation's airspace, two top lawmakers are calling for reforms that could spark significant changes to the agency's organizational structure.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo (D-N.J.) issued a call for reform at the FAA after a scathing Department of Transportation Inspector General report questioned the agency's progress on ADS-B implementation.
"For over 50 years, the FAA has effectively managed air traffic in the world's busiest, most complex airspace while maintaining the highest levels of safety," the lawmakers said in a statement. "However, a recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office reveals widespread and growing skepticism among the aviation community about the FAA's capability to successfully modernize our nation's airspace — the effort known as NextGen."
The Congressmen say they will push for a top-down review of the FAA's roles and responsibilities as they relate to airspace modernization to ensure the agency can remain on track with NextGen programs in the future.
"Now with the Department of Transportation Inspector General's report on the FAA's inability to effectively deploy a significant component of NextGen nationwide," they said, "Congress must thoroughly reexamine whether the FAA's organizational structure will allow the agency to successfully execute new technology programs safely and cost-effectively in the decades ahead."
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